(Republican)
Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials),
National Gendarmerie, National Police

Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 284,358 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 146,908
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 11,304
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $70.8 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Gabon

Disputes - international: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial
Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Georgia

Introduction

Georgia

Background: Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th
century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian
revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet
Union dissolved in 1991. Ethnic separation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
poor governance, and Russian military bases deny the government effective
control over the entirety of the state's internationally recognized
territory. Despite myriad problems, progress on market reforms and
democratization support the country's goal of greater integration with
Western political, economic and security institutions.

Geography Georgia

Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey
and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 69,700 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries: total: 1,461 km border countries: Armenia 164 km,
Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km

Coastline: 310 km

Maritime claims: NA

Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Terrain: largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills
of Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a
Mqinvartsveri 5,047 m

Natural resources: forests, hydro